Gangneung, South Korea >> Brianna Decker, like many of her U.S. Olympic hockey teammates, will wear a key on a chain around her neck to Team USA’s Olympic Games opener against Finland on Sunday afternoon (Saturday night PST).

“Right up until I hit the ice,” the forward said.

“Fearless” is inscribed on a key that symbolizes a courageous stand and struggle U.S. players believe empowered them to unlock Canada’s 16-year hold on the Olympic women’s title.

The Olympic tournament comes less than a year after the U.S. women put their playing careers and their gold medal dreams on the line in a labor dispute with USA Hockey, the sport’s national governing body, which had implications that extended beyond the rink.

“What we were doing had a bigger purpose,” Decker said.

With the U.S. players threatening to boycott the 2017 World Championships in Michigan, the team and USA Hockey reached a landmark agreement March 28, three days before the opening of the tournament in which Team USA would go on to win, defeating archrival Canada in the final.

“I think it is symbolic of what we went through,” Decker said of the keys sent to the players by a company that admired their stand. “It does show us that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves and what we went through in April was more than just for our team. It was for future generations of women sports in the U.S. and around the world.”

The ordeal also strengthened the bond within the team, giving it a new resolve that Team USA players and coaches said sets this squad apart from previous U.S. Olympic teams.

“It was huge,” captain Meghan Duggan said of the labor dispute. “The unity and the strength and the energy you gain in a locker room from going through something like that. It was difficult and we really had to rely on each other and trust each other and communicate with each other, and I think it really bonded us. It energized us through that, through the World Championships that came right on the heels of that.

“It’s something our team will never forget, and we’ll use as energy and confidence building and momentum for this tournament as well.”

The U.S. has won the last four World titles, eight of the last 10. But Team USA has failed to duplicate its World Championships success on the Olympic stage, losing to Canada in the last two Olympic gold medal finals, and three of the last four. Cayla Barnes, Team USA’s 19-year-old rising star defenseman out of Eastvale, wasn’t even born when the Americans won their only Olympic gold medal, knocking off Canada in the inaugural Olympic final in 1998.

No Olympic loss, however, stung as much as the 2014 gold medal defeat in Sochi. The U.S. was 55 seconds away from gold when Canada tied the game, and then won in overtime.

“We started to see things within USA Hockey that we just didn’t think were fair,” Duggan said last fall.

The players asked for parity in compensation and support with the men’s program and financial commitment from the governing body to youth development programs for girls, similar to those for American boys.

When 15 months of meetings failed to budge USA Hockey, the players realized they had to take a major step.

“We had to put something on the line,” Duggan said.

The players’ threat to boycott the World Championships caught the attention of USA Hockey, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the public.

USA Hockey agreed to a four-year contract that included the formation of the Women’s High Performance Advisory Group to develop the women’s game at the youth levels, insurance and travel provisions equal to the men’s program and increased prize money pools.

The USOC also guaranteed each player will receive a monthly $2,000 training stipend to be paid year around.

Another benefit of the players’ stand was evident a few days after the agreement was struck.

“I sensed it in World Championships,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said.

The team had a new energy and strength, a new confidence.

It was fearless.

“After that everything was all taken care of in April, it bonded our team,” Decker said. “We became unbreakable heading into the World Championships. Now USA Hockey, we’ve all moved forward together and it’s a great program to play for. And I’m so happy and excited to play for another Olympic Games.”

Excited and convinced they can finally grasp the Olympic gold that has eluded them for two decades; that after the women’s final Feb. 22 gold medals will rest above their hearts, side by side with symbols of perhaps an even greater triumph.

“Saying we were fearless for what we were tackling,” Duggan said of the keys, “and we were certainly proud to wear those around our neck.”

Scott M. Reid is a sports enterprise/investigative reporter for the Orange County Register. He also covers Olympic and international sports as well as the Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. His work for the Register has led to investigations by the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of Education, the California Legislature, and the national governing bodies for gymnastics and swimming. Reid's 2011 reporting on wide spread sexual abuse within USA Gymnastics and the governing body's failure to effectively address it led to Don Peters, coach of the 1984 record-setting Olympic team, being banned from the sport for life. His reporting also prompted USA Gymnastics to adopt new guidelines and policies dealing with sexual abuse. Reid's 2012 and 2013 reporting on sexual abuse within USA Swimming led to the banishment of two top level coaches. Reid has won 11 Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting since 1999. He has also been honored by APSE for game writing, and enterprise, news, and beat reporting. He was an Investigative Reporters and Editors award finalist in 2002 and 2003. Prior to joining the Register in 1996, Reid worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Times Herald. He has a B.A. in the History of the Americas from the University of Washington.